A Longer-Term VMware Horizon Platform for Mission-Critical Desktop and App Workloads A substantial number of customers deploy the VMware Horizon desktop and app virtualization platform to deliver mission-critical desktops and apps (e.g. electronic medical record software, like Epic). For these customers, upgrading Horizon can be quite resource-intensive and requires long-term planning. So ideally, these customers would like to remain on the same version of Horizon for a long period of time and still receive timely bug and security fixes. To better meet the needs of these customers, VMware will be offering a new Extended Service Branch (ESB) for VMware Horizon 7 Enterprise deployments, which include the core Horizon 7 platform, VMware App Volumes, and VMware User Environment Manager. An Extended Service Branch is a parallel release branch to the existing, current release (CR) of the product. By choosing to deploy an ESB, customers will receive periodic service pack (SP) updates, which include cumulative, critical bug fixes and security fixes. Most importantly, there will be no new features in the SP updates, so customers can rely on a stable Horizon platform for their critical deployments. For Horizon Enterprise suite, there will be separate ESBs for Horizon 7, App Volumes, and User Environment Manager. These ESBs will be released once a year (at the same time). Once released, these will be supported for 24 months. During those 24 months, there will be three scheduled SP updates: SP1 will be released six months after the initial release, SP2 will be released three months after SP1, and SP3 will be released six months after SP2. The first set of ESBs will be available in the Q2 2018 timeframe. ESBs will be covered under the same licenses that govern the existing Horizon releases. For more information, please review these FAQs about Horizon 7, App Volumes, and User Environment Manager ESBs. The post VMware Horizon Enterprise Extended Service Branch (ESB) appeared first on VMware End-User Computing Blog.
Source: VMware EUC –...

Today’s post covers the newest VMware Workspace ONE features based on the releases of VMware AirWatch 9.2.2 and 9.2.3 and VMware Identity Manager 3.1. Workspace ONE unifies Identity Manager access control and application management and AirWatch unified endpoint management (UEM) technology into a single platform. Available as a cloud service or for on-premises deployments, the Workspace ONE platform enables IT to deliver and manage any app on any device. What’s New in Unified Endpoint Management AirWatch unified endpoint management (UEM) technology powers the integrated Workspace ONE platform, empowering the digital workspace to meet business mobility needs. By unifying endpoint management into a single point of reference, the solution delivers a premium user experience that doesn’t compromise enterprise security. New! macOS Management Features [AirWatch 9.2.2] macOS Kernel Extension Policy Profiles In macOS 10.13.2, Apple introduced User-Approved Kernel Extension Loading. This means that third-party kernel extensions (KEXTs) now require user approval before these can run on a system. While an upgrade to macOS 10.13.2 whitelists current KEXTs, any new KEXTs require user approval. Adding user approval to the workflow could potentially disrupt the distribution of software that includes kernel extensions. The Kernel Extension Policy profile, available in AirWatch 9.2.2, creates a way around user approval. You can whitelist allowed KEXTs by specifying the bundle ID or team ID in the profile. Configure a Kernel Extension Policy Profile Allow applications and installers that use kernel extensions to load on devices running macOS 10.13.2 and later. Navigate to Devices > Profiles & Resources > Profiles > Add > Apple macOS > Device Profile. Configure the profile General settings to determine how the profile deploys and who receives it. Select the Kernel Extension Policy payload and choose to Allow User Overrides, or configure the Extension Policy Settings: Allow User Overrides: Select the check box to approve additional kernel extensions not explicitly allowed by configuration profiles. This option allows any application to install on the end users’ devices without approval for a kernel extension. (If you select this option, the extension policy settings below provide no additional functionality.) Extension Policy Settings: Configure the following settings if disabling Allow User Overrides: Setting Description Whitelist Team Identifiers List the team identifiers for which all validly signed kernel extensions are allowed to load.Click the Add button to create additional identifiers. Whitelist Kernel Extensions List the signed kernel extensions allowed to load on the machine, and...

With 1.4 million people, San Antonio, Texas is the seventh largest city in the United States and a digital workspace pioneer. Faced with an aging and cumbersome Citrix XenDesktop environment, the city began to implement several digital workspace initiatives using VMware solutions. Now any computer-using city worker can access a secure, city-branded workspace portal with a full suite of applications that they’re authorized to use,...

As an employee at VMware, I use my own digital workspace for access to my apps and data every day. Our internal IT staff has deployed VMware Workspace ONE to help deliver a secure digital workspace to tens of thousands of my colleagues, giving each of us access to our apps and data according to our roles. My digital workspace enables me to open a web browser or my Workspace ONE app from any of my devices and have single sign-on (SSO)...

When it comes to enabling users with applications, the world of enterprise IT has never been more challenging. If we go back only a few years, organisations primarily used not only Microsoft Windows devices but also Windows applications. Enterprise mobility and the consumerisation of IT led to a huge increase in the variety of devices and operating systems being used. MacBook and Chromebook laptops, mobile phones and rugged devices...

Your Comprehensive Guide to Transforming Security with Desktop Virtualization Not a day goes by without a data breach or a cyberattack. No one seems to be immune, from government agencies to retailers, Big Four accounting firms, fast food chains, and now, credit reporting agencies. Whether the breach is due to lax security on the part of the organization, insiders going rogue or brute force by cyberterrorists, we all pay the price...

VMware Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure released an update today. In addition to a number of UI and back-end platform enhancements, we have developed several noteworthy updates to existing features. Schedule Based Power Management The initial release of Horizon Cloud on Microsoft Azure introduced power management features that allow you to manage infrastructure costs in your Microsoft Azure environment. Farms can grow or shrink...